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This information sheet provides the guidelines used at Thirroul Surf Life Saving Club (TSLSC) for use of the Club’s Junior paddle boards. It has been prepared so that paddlers and their parents understand:

How are boards allocated?

When and who can usewhich boards?

How do we look after the boards?

What are the alternatives to using the Club’s pool of unallocated boards?

TSLSC also provides Junior board induction sessions for:

Board paddlers (and at least one parent) at the start of their training season (and as a requirement prior to being allocated a board)

All Juniors at the start of the Nippers season, as part of their surf skills & awareness programs

All Age Managers and Water Safety Officers

1. How are boards allocated?

Boards are allocated by the TSLSC Head Coach, Junior Board Coach and Gear Stewards prior to each training season. A copy of the board/ paddler allocation list, and this information sheet, will be kept in the board shed.

Boards will be allocated to those who attend training sessions and compete at local and State carnivals/ championships, with priority in the allocations being based on, for example:

a) their commitment to board training, e.g. regular attendance

b) their parents’ commitment e.g. as Water Safety Officers, Age Managers

c) their performance at the previous State Championship (or Branch Championship, Sydney Water Series)

Board training sessions are aimed at competitors, or those intending to compete (e.g. when the paddler reaches the U9 age group). The availability of board training for other children will be at the discretion of the Head Coach, who will make a decision on the day based on the availability of Water Safety Officers and Coaches.

As a general rule, when children attend training sessions, at least one parent should be on the beach or in the water, unless discussed with and agreed by the Head Coach. When children start learning to paddle, parents need to ensure that one adult is in the water for each paddler.

For further information see the TSLSC Junior Board Training Information Sheet (downloadable from TSLSC website).

The allocated and unallocated boards will be kept in separate parts of the board shed. Shed keys can be arranged for parents who have a Bronze Medallion Certificate (Surf Rescue), whose children have been allocated a board.

Repairs to allocated boards are the responsibility of the families whose children have been allocated the boards (if damaged outside Sunday Nippers and scheduled training sessions).

Which boards: unallocated or allocated boards? Foamies or fibreglass boards?

Who: shared as required, or priority for children allocated boards?

Table 1 has been prepared as a guide, bearing in mind the need to:

Promote safety for the children

Give all the children – those participating in Sunday Nippers and those committed to paddling – opportunities to develop their paddling confidence and skills

Look after the boards

Be fair but prioritise as per section 1.

TABLE 1

WHICH BOARDS and WHO?

Unallocated boards

Allocated boards

WHEN?

Sunday Nippers

Shared

- U6-U8 age group to use older foamies

- U9-up age group to use other (unallocated) foamies

- U12-U13 age group may use older (unallocated) fibreglass boards if foamies too small

- U14 age group to use foam mals (and older fibreglass boards if insufficient foamies)

Shared (foamies generally)

Scheduled training sessions

Shared

Allocated Junior

Competitions

No, not required

Allocated Junior

Other times

Shared. Use at discretion of Head Coach/ Gear Steward

Allocated Junior

Overnight storage outside board shed (e.g. home, holidays)?

No, but use at discretion of Head Coach/ Gear Steward

Yes, night before competitions etc.

Otherwise, allocated boards should generally be kept in shed, but may be taken away at discretion of Head Coach/ Gear Steward.

3. How do we look after the boards?

Some do’s and don’ts – responsibilities of both children and parents – are shown below. While these will be talked about during Junior board induction sessions, and Sunday Nippers and training sessions, it is important that parents reinforce these with their children themselves:

Do:

Lock the shed up once you’ve taken out your board. Lock the shed up once you’ve returned your board. (If you opened it, you are responsible for locking it)

Make sure you get the board back to the shed if you got it out

Wash board down thoroughly with fresh water, especially around handles, fins etc, before they are returned to shed

Arrange to get repairs done as soon as damage is noticed and before the board is used again: